The Daily bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Hawaii]) 1882-1895, 1887-05-05
A REMARKABLE GRAVE.

In central position in the church.
yard surrounding the Garden
church in Ilanover--so called be-
cause, in early times, the worshippers
in this little chapel belonged chiefly
to the class of market gardeners and
cultivated their garden produce hard
by-stands a very remarkable grave.
Even the most casual visitor to the
churchyard could not fail to notice
IL, for its pecularities strike the eye
and arrest the attention at once
and If ut his first visit lie had any
doubts as to its position, he need
only follow the beaten track which
the feet of his countless predecessors
have worn in the grass. There he
would see n large oblong block of
sandstone, weather. stained and dark
with age, draped over the top and
one side with black cloth, which
almost covers an extinguished and
still smoking torch the block itself
resting on foundation, also made
out of a heavy sandstone, in the
form of two steps. On the cloth is
carved the name of the deceased,
Caroline Won Ruling, who was born
in 1906, and died in 1882, after
bearing three sons to heaven. On
the reverse side of the stone are the
following lines, apparently the work
of the Borrowing husband:-
Parting is the fate of mortals;
How bitter to be left so soon.
The rest of life Is nought but darkness:
But death will be the break of day.
To meet again eternal light.
But the most remarkable inscrip-
ton stands on the lower step, and is
to this effect: ''This burying-place,
bought for eternity, may never be
opened" As if, however, to demon
strate the futility of all human pur-
poses when opposed to those of
higher power, and rs q rebuke to
the presumption of the purchaser,
the grave has been opened, though
by no human hand, and in a most
mysterious manner. Long years
ago the seed of birch found its
way into a Granny between the upper
block and its supporting basis. In
course of time the seed sprouted,
took firm root and grew, first thrust
ing its tender and apparently harm
less shoots through the crack, but
then gradually growing in size and
strength, till at last, with slow but
irresistible power, it forced and rent
asunder in all directions the massive
stones composing the grave; and
now tall and graceful birch-tree
rears its head above the ruptured
tomb, affording abundance of re-
Election to the thoughtful observer.
So much can be gathered from the
grave itself but, naturally enough,
on such subject tradition has not
been idle. One story runs that
Caroline Won Ruling was never mar
ried, aud when on the point of
death, induced her parents to pro-
mise that they would bury with her
chest containing some awful secret
which she wished forever to be
hidden from the sight of men, and
write on her tomb that on no &C
count should it ever be opened.
Another legend, much more Ella
borate, and probably of later date,
represents the occupant of the tomb
and her three infant sons, all having
been secretly poisoned by a mali
cious enemy. The murderess, who
was an adept in the art of magic as
we'll as poison, in order to perfect
her diabolical revenge, bound the
mothers soul within her body by
means of dark spells, that it might
remain in the grave and not fly up
to heaven. But the spirit of one of
the murdered sons was allowed to
descend in the form of birch-seed,
which grew into tree, and forced
open the tomb. The mothers soul
was freed and rejoined those of her
sons Chambers journal.